Improvement in horseshoes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT S. WILKINSON, OF PAWTUOKE'I, RHODE ISLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSESHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,309, dated July 10, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 'It known that I, ALBERT S. WILKINSON, of Pawtucket, Providence county, State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and Improved. Racing-Horseshoe; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereoi',`which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l, Sheet 1, is a top view of my improved racing-horseshoe. Fig. 2 is vertical section through the line @o x in Fig. l. Fig. 3

is alrear view of the same.

Similar letters of reference in the different gures denote corresponding parts.

The ordinary racingshoe is made very light, narrow, and thin but although so lightly constructed, when it is nailed to the hoof by nine nails, as is commonly done, it coniines the foot elasticity to the foot not attainable in racingshoes of ordinary construction.

My improved racing-shoe consists in a very light steel shoe having a continuous clip running around thc shoe, which gives it great vertical stiffness and more thoroughly protects the edge of the hoof 5 and the said continuous clip being more elevated at the toe and heel, and the whole clip being of such shape as to t over the shelving edge of the hooi", but little fastening at the heel of the shoe is all that is required to hold it securely; and when the shoe is sprung on this heel-fastening may consist of a single nail or screw in each heel, or of a connection made between the tops of the heel clips; and my invention also consists in slitting the shoe or bottom plate thereof radially near its forward part, so as to allow free lateral expansion to the heel or quarters of the hoof.

Having described the 'nature of my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A A, Sheet l,i11 the accompanying drawings, is the body of the shoe, and B B b is a continuous clip running entirely around the shoe. This continuous clip is more elevated at the toe, as shown by B', and also at the heel, as shown by b b.

rEhe bed-plate A of the shoe is slitted, as shown by slits a et, Fig. l, so as to weaken the shoe laterally and give lateral elasticity or play to the heels of the shoe. This shoe is made to accurately tit the foot, and is then sprung on and secured at the heel by a single nail, d, Fig. l, placed well back in each heel, the toe of' the shoe being held to the foot by the toe-clip alone, or by the toe-clip B and one or two nails, c c, Fig. l, or by using straps to secure the heel of the shoe, while the toe is held to the hoof by the toe-clip. The shoe may be secured to the foot without the use of nails. When the latter mode of fastening-isf made use of I attach the heel of the shoe to the foot by straps passing over the coronet of quarters of the foot, and when the heel is so secured the toe of the shoe is held firmly to the hoof by the toe-clip and by the continuous clip, the continuous clip securing the shoe horizontally on the bottom of the foot in every direction.

If the heel-clips b b are elevated somewhat, they may be buttoned together or otherwise connected, and still the elasticity of the heel is preserved as long as such heel-connection is made considerably above the plane of the shoe or bed-plate A of the shoe, (see rear View, Fig. 3;) or the tops of the heel-clips may not have a rigid connection, but may be linked together by a strong strap of rubber or other elastic material.

A greater or less number of the slits a may be made in the bottom plate of the shoe, as considered most desirable.

By these means a shoe is provided which is light and elastic, and which, with a minimum of weight, gives a greater degree of protection to the foot than such shoes as constructed heretofore.

The springjoints formed by slitting the shoe'may be applied to any kind of horseated substantially in the manner and for the Shoe. v purpose set forth. :i

HewinOa thus described my invention what I claim ats new, and desire to secure by Iletters ALBERT S' WILKINSON' Patent, is- Witnesses:

A continuous e1ip,B B I), constructed as W. W. BLODGETT, vf." described, in combination with the notched WILLIAM W. REND.

bar A, the whole being constructed and oper- 

